South Africa has a long association with gold mining. Johannesburg grew rapidly after gold was discovered in 1886, and mining helped shape the country’s modern economy. Today, South Africa is also known for its universities and health sciences training.
If you are looking for a competitive medical or health sciences program in South Africa, consider the following well-known medical schools and health sciences institutions.
Top Medical Schools in South Africa
1. University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is one of Africa’s strongest universities for medicine and health sciences. UCT reports that Medicine ranked joint 99th globally in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, while Times Higher Education placed UCT’s Medical and Health subject area joint 75th globally and first in South Africa in its 2026 subject rankings. The university’s medical history also includes the world’s first human-to-human heart transplant, performed at Groote Schuur Hospital in 1967.
International students may pursue full-degree study at UCT where they meet the relevant eligibility rules. UCT also offers a Semester Study Abroad program for students registered at non-South African universities, but this program is not a short-term medical degree route and is offered through selected faculties.
2. University of Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, commonly known as Wits, is one of the best-known medical universities in South Africa. It is located in Johannesburg, a city strongly associated with South Africa’s gold-mining history. Wits has a long record of medical and health sciences achievements. Its official history states that it was the first South African university to achieve a successful graft of a plastic cornea and that the country’s first dental hospital and school were established by the university.
There are two main routes into the Wits medical program. Applicants may enter the MBBCh program in the first year after school, or qualified applicants may apply for the Graduate Entry Medical Programme, which allows entry into the third year. The Graduate Entry Medical Programme enables eligible students to complete the undergraduate medical degree in four years after entry to the third year, followed by internship and community service requirements.
3. Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is a leading South African research university with a Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences based at Tygerberg. The faculty has helped pioneer rural clinical training in South Africa; in 2011, Stellenbosch became the first South African academic institution to send a group of medical students to a rural clinical school for their entire final year.
Stellenbosch also offers student support systems in medical education, including mentoring and academic support initiatives. International applicants should note that the university’s MBChB program currently considers South African citizens, permanent residents, and refugees only, because internship and community service placements for foreign nationals are limited. Applicants should check the latest admissions rules directly with the university before applying.
4. University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is one of South Africa’s major research-intensive universities. Its School of Medicine offers medical training through the Faculty of Health Sciences, and its MBChB page states that graduates must complete the MBChB degree, followed by a two-year internship and one year of community service, before registration as medical practitioners.
The Faculty of Health Sciences emphasizes practical training in hospital, clinic, and community settings. UP also supports internationalization through its Internationalisation and Strategic Partnerships structures, which work with international students, partnerships, and mobility opportunities.
5. University of Kwazulu-Natal
Among the universities on this list, the University of KwaZulu-Natal is relatively young in its current form. It was created on January 1, 2004, through the merger of the University of Durban-Westville and the University of Natal. Despite its recent formation, UKZN quickly became one of the best-known universities in South Africa for medicine and other fields.
UKZN’s official MBChB page lists the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery as a six-year degree. The university has also been involved in the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro Collaboration, through which Cuban-trained South African medical students have completed clinical training in KwaZulu-Natal hospitals.
6. University of the Western Cape
The University of the Western Cape, located in Cape Town, is a public university established in 1959. UWC is not a traditional MBChB medical school, but it offers health sciences training through areas such as natural medicine and dentistry. Its School of Natural Medicine covers complementary health sciences disciplines, including Acupuncture, Naturopathy, Phytotherapy, and Unani-Tibb, which are recognized by South Africa’s Allied Health Professions Council.
Students can pursue complementary medicine programs such as Naturopathy, Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, and Unani-Tibb. Clinical practice takes place through UWC’s Faculty of Community and Health Sciences Wellness Centres at Lentegeur Hospital and Fisantekraal.
The university’s Faculty of Dentistry is also highly regarded for oral health education. It provides professional education and service-based clinical training at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
7. University of the Free State
Founded in 1904 as Grey University College in Bloemfontein, the University of the Free State is one of South Africa’s long-established public universities. The university’s current facts and figures list more than 38,000 students across its campuses. English is the university’s main language of instruction, except for language-specific modules and programs.
The UFS School of Clinical Medicine includes departments such as Family Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Internal Medicine, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics and Child Health, Pharmacology, Psychiatry, Surgery, and Urology.
The university offers a wide range of health sciences programs, and students gain academic and clinical exposure through its Faculty of Health Sciences. In recent regional and impact rankings, UFS has also been recognized among leading universities in sub-Saharan Africa and in global impact ranking bands.
FAQs About Studying Medicine in South Africa
Can International Students Enroll in Medical Schools in South Africa?
Yes, but opportunities vary by university and program. South African MBChB places are limited, and some universities restrict MBChB admission to South African citizens, permanent residents, refugees, or specific applicant categories because medical graduates must complete internship and community service requirements in South Africa. For example, Stellenbosch states that its MBChB program currently considers South African citizens, permanent residents, and refugees only, while the University of Limpopo states that its MBChB program is currently offered to South African students only.
Other universities provide guidance for international applicants, but requirements differ by institution. Some of the universities that publish information for international students include the University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand, and Stellenbosch University. Applicants should always check the latest MBChB eligibility rules directly with each university before applying.
Common application and admission items may include school-leaving results, required subjects such as English, Mathematics, Life Sciences, and Physical Sciences, National Benchmark Tests where required, university selection documents, foreign school-leaving certificate evaluation or matriculation exemption, and English language evidence where required. International students may also need a valid passport, a study visa, proof of funding, and proof of membership in a South African medical aid scheme for the duration of study.
What is the Medical Curriculum Like in Medical Schools in South Africa?
Most South African medical schools offer the MBChB or MBBCh as a six-year undergraduate medical degree entered after high school, although some universities also offer graduate-entry routes. The University of the Witwatersrand, for example, allows first-year entry after school and also offers the Graduate Entry Medical Programme, which allows eligible applicants to enter the third year.
The medical degree in South Africa is usually called MBChB or MBBCh, depending on the university. Programs typically combine basic medical sciences, clinical skills, hospital and community-based learning, and senior clinical rotations. Applicants should check each university’s current curriculum because course structures and selection rules differ.
After graduating with the MBChB or MBBCh, medical graduates must complete a two-year internship and one year of community service before they can register for independent practice with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
Since English is widely used in South African higher education, many students can find English-taught health sciences programs. However, language policy, admission rules, and international eligibility vary by university, so applicants should verify the latest requirements on official university pages.
South Africa remains a strong option for students interested in medicine, dentistry, and related health sciences fields. International MBChB applicants should plan carefully around admissions eligibility, study visas, internship and community service requirements, and medical council registration.
We hope that this article on the best medical schools in South Africa was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs for International Students!
